Fading Echos
by NovaStar47
Summary: What would happen if the Avengers met up with another group of inhuman hunters? What happens when they realize that the leader of this group is hiding a dangerous secret? (Just a fanfic I'm working on, and I suck a captions, sorry)
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

I gripped my head in my hands; feeling like something was trying to claw it's way out from the inside. But that's basically what was happening, if that's the way you want to phrase it. Running down the hallway, I ignored the angry mutters I got as I bumped into the agents and employees. I probably looked insane, an 18-year-old girl running randomly through the halls, my hands clenched over my long red-brown hair. Barreling through a door, I collapsed against a railing on the outside of the aircraft, panting. Peeling my hands away from my head, I half expected to find shards of my skull in my palms. Crumpling against the cold pole, I whimpered. This can't be happening, I've held it in for ten years, it can't come back now. Shivering and sweating at the same time, I pulled my legs into my chest.

_It's been a while, hasn't it?_

My eyes flew wide and I gasped, the voice floating cooly through my head. _No. no, no nononono you can't be here._

_Can't I?_

_Back down._

I heard her laugh in my head, and I licked my lips, looking around, as if I could I could escape the horror in my head.

_I've had fun these past few years, watching what you've been doing. Honestly, I love what you've done with your friends, this charade you're putting on for them. They don't know, do they?_

My gaze scanned the craft, but I only saw the clear launchpad for the helicopters. Tears prickling my eyes, I stared at my only option,. The railing. I had to. Staggering to my feet, I backed up. My heartbeat was pounding so loud in my ears I didn't know he had come out behind me until strong arms wrapped around my waist.

"What do you think you're doing? You look like you're about the fling yourself off the craft!"

"That's exactly what I'm doing! You aren't safe if I'm here!" I writhed and struggled against him, trying to push his arms away despite the fact I knew I wasn't strong enough.

"What are you talking about? Whatever's gong on, I can help. Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it! Just stay here!"

_Aw, how sweet. It looks like he cares about you. Too bad he wont live long enough to tell you that._

"SHUT UP!"

My screech caused him to jump, and his arms loosened, not a lot, but enough for me to wriggle out of his embrace and bolt towards the edge. His cry was lost in the howling of the wind and the beating of my heart as I hurdled over the railing. The wind roared in my ears, and I angled myself downward, letting myself fall.

_I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I can't let myself hurt you._

_You keep telling yourself that, but that's not going to happen. I'm going to make you watch yourself kill everyone that you love, letting them bleed our around your feet._

_You can't run from yourself._


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One?**

Staggering down the path, I clutched my shoulder, blood streaming through my fingers. I groaned, furious at myself for letting my guard down on the hunt. _Stupid Wendigo. Stupid freaking forest. For God's sake, those stupid teens._

Spotting the house, I sighed. _Reagan's going to give me hell for this._ Bracing myself for the barrel of questions I was sure to get, I nudged the door open and limped inside.

"What the hell happened to you?"

I snorted as I faced James's wide eyes. Tousled brown hair, golden-green eyes, he was sprawled across the couch, a book open in his lap.

"Well James, when you go hunting, there's a small chance of getting hurt. It's just the way it is." I shrugged, then winced. Bad idea.

"You never get hurt, what happened?"

"A group of idiotic teens thinking it'd be fun to poke a Wendigo."

He rolled his eyes. "Aren't normal people adorable?"

"They're stupid, if that's what you mean. What are you doing up, anyway? It's like two in the morning." Yeah, sorry. I have a bad habit of changing subjects. Blame it on the ADD.

"I was waiting till you got back in case you needed help."

I opened my mouth to answer when Reagan stormed into the room, glaring at me.

"What are you doing in here? I was waiting for you! Why did you come back and not come straight to me? I knew you were going to be hurt, you knew you were hurt, but no. You have to stay and chat while you bleed out! Seriously Deryn, common sense!" She poked my forehead. "Think. And don't tell me you're fine, cause you're not." She snapped.

I looked at her. "I'm okay?"

"I told you not to tell me that."

"You told me not to tell you I'm fine."

"Same thing."

"Is not."

"Yes, it is."

"No, it's not, and you're coming with me so I can clean you up before you drip blood everywhere."

James looked at the floor, well, looked at my blood on the floor. "A bit late for that."

"That's not helping!" Reagan retorted, grabbing my hand and yanking me out of the room.

She sat me down on a counter, and pulled out her box of items-that-aren't-really-medical-but-can-still-be-used-for-the-same-thing. Grabbing a cloth, she dunked it in water and started mopping up my shoulder.

"You know, I can do this myself." I said. Though as much as I protested I could take care of myself, it _was _nice to have a family to help. I had a lot of time alone, having to do all this for myself. A little help isn't really that bad in the big scheme of things. Take it from me guys, don't stay angry at your family. You'll need them sometime, as much as you don't want to admit it.

She sighed. "I know, but knowing you, you'd clean it up and stick a Band-Aid on it. I need to make sure it won't get infected. That's the last thing you want for your next hunt."

Yeah. Geez, these hunts never ended. Don't get me wrong, I love the thrill of the chase, but a little vacation would be greatly appreciated. And as much as I loved our homes, we never really traveled anywhere. I wanted to get back up in the air and just fly somewhere. Not far, I wouldn't make it, somewhere close. And carrying my backpack would be kind of a pain for a long flight.

Yeah, carrying. I'm not flying on a plane, those things are death traps. My wings will carry me just fine, thank you very much. Surprised? You shouldn't be. If you had my wings, you'd want to fly as well. My wings were a dark blue, almost black, with silver at the bottom gradually fading out as they traveled up. My wings kicked ass.

"Hey Deryn, you there?"

I blinked out of my thoughts to see Reagan staring at me.

"Did you hear anything I just said?" She asked.

"Yes?" I said innocently.

She sighed. "Never mind. It was nothing, anyway."

She finished up in silence; eyes squinting as she did a few stitches. "There. Try not to move it too much till tomorrow at the earliest. I'd say for a few days, but I know you'd ignore that."

I smiled as I hopped off the counter and walked out of the room. "You know me too well! Thanks."

I walked out of the room, conscious of Reagan's eyes on my back, but I didn't turn around. I was tired. Needed sleep. I didn't really want a heart-to-heart conversation people seem to always have in the middle of the night. Bleh.

I crept down the hallway, conscious of the people sleeping on either side of me, and slipped into my room. Closing my door, I sighed, my head falling forward. Shrugging off my jacket and boots, I flopped onto my bed, not bothering to change. It wasn't the first time I slept in my clothes, and it won't be the last time. Rolling over, I flung my arms over my head and groaned. I leaned over and set my alarm for the morning, then burrowed under the covers and fell into a dreamless sleep.

Blinking open my eyes, I awoke to sunlight streaming through my window, making the walls shimmer in a golden light. Groaning, I rolled onto my back, stretching out my muscles. I sat up and plunked my feet onto my floor, shivering at the sudden coldness. Changing from my pajamas into my street clothes - Knee-high boots, jeans, a black tank top, tight leather jacket, and black fingerless gloves - I walked out of my room and down the stairs to the kitchen. Smiling at the familiar creaking of the house, I wandered into the kitchen and saw Naomi sitting on the counter, book in hand.

"New book? What, is this your third one this week?"

Her gazed swept up to match mine, blinking. She was such a big bookworm, I wouldn't be surprised if she had been sitting there all night. Quite and reclusive, she was reading most of her free time. She smile, hopping off the counter.

"It's only my second. I started it yesterday." I scanned the page she was holding. It was almost at half. Shaking my head, I opened the cupboard, lifting out a strawberry Pop-Tarts box. Grabbing a package, I tossed the rest back and stuffed one in my mouth. Good manners, I ain't got. Walking backwards, I bumped into Reagan, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"Hey." She mumbled. "God, I hate mornings. Why does nine have to come so disgustingly early, anyways?"

My lips twitched into a smirk. "Nine comes at the same time everyday." I spewed some crumbs as I talked, and Reagan laughed.

"I love what you eat for breakfast, everyday you only grab like a slice of toast or a Pop-Tart. Seriously though, you barely eat."

I pumped my fist into the air. "Breakfast of Champions!" I declared, then spun around and wandered to the door. "I'm running out for some supplies. Naomi, can you check for any hunts we could do?" She nodded. "Great. Back in thirty." I sauntered out the door, hearing Reagan call out "Don't forget about your shoulder!" As I slammed the door behind me.

*skipping the store cause that was boring*

Staggering up the steps to the house, I launched the door inwards with a kick. But instead of opening like I thought it was going to do, it instead hit the wall and rebounded back, proceeding to hit me in the nose. Growling at it, I sent a wave of energy towards it, accidentally creating a small crack. Ignoring it, I stomped into the kitchen, dumping the bags onto the counter and throwing things into the fridge and cupboards. Snarling at the packages, I slammed the doors closed and spun around to see Graham staring at me, soda in hand.

"What?" I snapped.

He just chuckled. "Bad day, I presume?"

I ran a hand through my hair, making it tangled. "Sorry. It started out okay, but there was just a bunch of idiots at the store. The lines were huge, some idiot dumped a jar of jam all over me," I gestured to the stain at the bottom of my shirt, "the cashier was an idiotic teen who had no idea what they were doing," I blew out a breath of air. "People." I grumbled.

Graham just looked at me for a moment, before laughing. "Jesus Deryn, you usually don't get this riled up by people, calm down. It's not that bad."

I snarled as I pushed past him. "I'm getting cabin fever, we haven't gone anywhere or done anything interesting for a year. I can't help it!"

Storming out to find Naomi, I took a deep breath. Graham was right, I shouldn't get this worked up. Not that I could help it, I hadn't gone anywhere for a while, and I was used to traveling. I made a mental note to go somewhere for Christmas if we couldn't go sooner, whether or not the others wanted to. Pushing the door open to Naomi's room, I wandered in.

Naomi chose the smallest room, saying she wouldn't need as much space as the rest of us. (I tried not to take offense at that.) Her room was a small, rectangular shape, with a large window on the far wall. To the left of the door was her bed, only a twin size because she's short. (Yes, we tease her for that. She doesn't mind.) Dark blue covers lay draped across the mattress, and white throw pillows litter the ground. Straight ahead of me is her desk, pressed against the right wall, and currently occupied by her. Papers lay scattered across it, and a few had flown off, and were laying on the floor surrounding her feet. Her laptop perches over them, the soft tk-tks of her typing the only sound. Soft blues and greens shimmer through the room, caused by the glass mobiles she makes with broken bottles she finds on the street. Her white hair blew off to the side with the breeze sweeping in from her open window.

I coughed to let her know I'm here, and she swiveled around in her chair.

"Hey." She whisper-calls to me. I smile at her.

"I don't mean to interrupt whatever you're doing, but I was wondering if you've found any cases for us?"

She turns back to her computer, searching her notes. "Ah, yes, actually, I found a shapeshifter hunt I thought we could have someone do."

"Maybe Jessie? She's been wanting to use her new blade, maybe her and Brooklyn can go together? I'll text her after we're done."

She looked through her files. "There's one I thought you might like, seeing as you're getting cabin fever here. It's in New York, another group called for help. They picked up some weird readings from one of the towers, but they're hesitant to check it out."

My eyes light up when she mentioned New York. "It's in New York?"

She glanced at me, nodding.

This should be interesting. Even though we live pretty close to it, I've never actually been to New York. Bigger cities seem really crowded to me, but hey. I'll try anything once. The case sounded kind of dull - I could easily name three species that can send radioactive waves out - but I'd go nonetheless.

Nodding, I started thinking of who to bring with me on the hunt. Reagan, definitely. Graham can come if he wants, maybe Michelle too. "Okay, got it. Can you contact Michelle and tell her to come over this afternoon with her stuff?" Naomi dipped her head. "Great. Thanks."

I walked back down the hall, thinking. Michelle and Reagan would have to take the car, of course, I could probably just fly there and get everything set up before they arrive. Reagan will probably get lost on the way, so Graham could just sit with them since he'll know where we're going. Running my hand through my hair, I sauntered to the kitchen to grab supplies for tonight.

* * *

><p>I flew silently through the night air, the stars peering through the fading clouds above me. The cool night air stroked my feathers, and brushed my hair around my face in soft, teasing strokes. Below me the ground rushed past, shadowed and gloomy save for a few shimmering lights signaling homes or small towns. My wings beat steadily, propelling me forward. I glanced down, counting the lights, fast disappearing either from families going to sleep or just less houses. Looking ahead, I saw a brightly lit cluster of lights, piercing through the dark like a diver through water. I slowed, curiosity flicking through my mind, but I shrugged it off. <em>You need to get to New York.<em> I continued flying, until my mind collapsed in on itself, my skull shattering. Flinching, I grabbed my head in my hands, momentarily forgetting to flap, my wings folding in and sending me plummeting to the ground.

_My vision blurred, and I saw the camp below me, much closer, the walls crumbling to the ground and people fleeing in waves. I saw a man crouched in the back of a truck, dressed in green with a blue light surrounding him. Another car roared after it, only to get lost in dust and rubble from the roof. I could hear a wailing alarm blaring, muffled from the debris._

I gasped, coming out from… whatever the hell just happened, and immediately snapped out my wings, slowing my fall but bringing them up in a painful vee shape. I brought them back down, leveling myself out. Luckily I hadn't fallen far enough to get noticed from the ground. I hovered, sweating, until a boom shook the ground. I brought my horror-filled eyes down, watching the land collapsed below me. Instinctively I dropped, but didn't make it fast enough. Skimming low over the broken buildings, I saw a truck screech out of the rubble. Eyeing it up, I realized it was the one I saw from what had happened a few moments ago. I cautiously followed, my curiosity getting the better of me.

The air turning softly from my wings, I watched from afar as the truck veered around the grounds, the man crouched in the back raising some sort of scepter, and shot a beam of energy at the nearby helicopter. My eyes widened as it careened towards me. I shot upwards, but not fast enough. The whirling blade clipped my wing as I maneuvered through the air, tossing me to the ground with a cry of pain. Rolling to a stop, my wings bent painfully underneath me, I watch with blurry eyes as the truck drove off. I groaned, pushing myself to my knees, and looked to my left. At first I saw my wing, sore and bleeding, but when I looked further out, I saw a man walking cautiously towards me, gun held steadily in front of him. _Oh of course. Now what? _I raised my hands like the good little soldier I am.

"Hey, dude, I come in peace."

"Where is Loki taking the Tessaract?" He growled.

_Huh? _My face turned to one of confusion. "Who? What's the Tessaract?" _Oh, the dude with the spear? Loki? Like the Norse God? _"I think you may have hit your head, Loki's not real."

He jabbed his gun in my face, looking furious. "I am out of patience! Tell me where he is going or I will put a bullet in your skull!"

My eyes widened in fear. _Ah crap this dude's insane!_ "Dude, person, whoever you are, calm down! I mean you no threat, I have NO IDEA what's going on!"

He shook his head. "Forget this. You're coming with me."

I could barely stutter out a "What?" Before he had grabbed me and yanked me to my feet. I groaned as he jarred my wings, and as he looked back his eyes widened. Well, _eye._ He had an eye patch on. He pushed me in front of him, and I could feel his gaze on my back.

"What are these?" He asked, his voice somewhat softer.

I snorted. "They, my friend, are wings. Y'know, the extra limb that birds tend to have? I'm just a bit more special than birds."

"You're not human." He declared. Okay, scratched that, his voice wasn't softer at all. Now he just sounded weirded out and on guard.

"Ding ding ding! Who gets a prize for most obvious comment of the day?" I rubbed my shoulder as he pushed me forward again to get moving. "Where are we going, anyway?" My question was drowned out in the noise of a helicopter landing a little ways in front of us. "Oh."

"Get in."

"I don't want to."

"Get in the helicopter."

"Dude, NO."

I took a step back. Bad move. I felt something press against my neck, a cool metallic material, and the soft squeak of a syringe being pressed. I batted the hand away, but not fast enough. He shoved me into the copter as my world turned black.


	3. Chapter 2

A pounding in my head. That's the first thing I felt as I gradually returned to the land of the living. The next thing I realized is that I couldn't move. Groaning, I tried to lift my head. And failed. _Uhhhhhh, why is my head so heavy? _I tried again, and succeeded in lifting it a little, but my body didn't follow. _What?_ I squinted open my eyes, brightly lit lights blaring into my face. I blinked, and raised my head again, my eyes roaming the room. I was lying on a small cot, with white walls stretching around me, scientific equipment on either side of my body. My arms jerked, and the feeling of restraints pulled against my wrist. Gritting my teeth, I yanked my hand back, trying to fit my hand through the slot, but it was wrapped too tightly. My head fell back against the small bed I was lying on, and I closed my eyes. _Okay. What happened? He… tried to get me into the helicopter, and then…. What. He sedated me? Sedative aren't supposed to work on me, I'm not human. _I heard footsteps, and my eyes flew open again. _What do I do now? When in doubt, act like a human? Maybe? What would someone normal do in this situation?_

A young man strolled into the room, with messy black hair and glasses perched on his face. He was scanning something on a clipboard as he walked. When his eyes lifted to meet mine, I saw surprise flit across his face, but it was quickly hidden. He opened his mouth, but another man strolled in before he could talk.

"So, sleeping beauty returns? How was your nap, beautiful? Sorry I couldn't join you, but we were busy figuring out what you were." The man said, stuffing his hands in his pockets and winking.

"Tony." The other guy warned.

"Congratulations Bruce! You know my name! Good thing too, it means she didn't hit you too hard."

I blinked. "What?"

Tony smirked at me. "Yeah, when Fury brought you in here, I was like _whoa, he finally scored. She looks a bit too young though._ But then he put you down, and you had frickin' _wings._ Love the wings, by the way, super cool."

I stared at him, my face blank. I honestly had no idea what was happening, but I had to get out of here.

"Why am I tied down?" I asked. Tony turned to Bruce as he answered, pulling up a screen on a piece of glass.  
>"You woke up for a bit, a little while after you arrived, and got a bit, well, let's say <em>violent<em>. Gave Brucie here a nice wallop on the side of his head. Took three agents to settle you down." He winked again. "Pretty strong for a little lady like yourself."

Bruce turned back around, looking sympathetic. "I didn't want to have to restrain you, but it wasn't going too good with you not staying still. If you don't destroy the place Fury gave us permission to release you."

I pulled at my wrists again. "Yeah, if that's not too much trouble."

Tony pointed at the door before walking over. "Two agents outside that door there. All we have to do is press a button and you're under again." He warned, unclipped my hands, and I rubbed my sore wrist.

Shaking my head, I swung my legs over the side of the bed. "Uh, okay? Where am I? How long was I under?" Bruce handed me a small glass of water, telling me I was dehydrated.

"Currently you are at a base of a top secret headquarters names SHIELD. For question two, you were under for about." Tony checked his watch. "7 hours."

I choked. "W-what?" I stuttered. "What do you mean, SEVEN HOURS? That can't be right!"

"Sorry sweetums, unless my watch is wrong, which by the way is impossible cause I made it, it has been seven hours since you've arrived. Actually now that I think about it that would mean you've been under for a bit longer than seven since Fury knocked you out before he arrived here."

I stared at him, my mouth gaping. When no one said anything (And they both seemed very unsurprised by my reaction) I slowly closed it and swallowed. "Um, okay. I'm assuming I'm not allowed to leave."

Bruce shook his head. "Not unless Fury gives the order. According to him you're a threat to SHIELD, and therefor need to be kept here to questioning and testing." My face paled at that.

"No, I have-" I shut up as Tony raised his eyebrows. _Don't tell them about the others, idiot. What if they go after them, too? _

"Someone waiting for you, sweetie?"

I sneered at him. "What's with the 'sweetie' thing? That's disgusting." As I spoke I hopped off the bed, subtly checking for someplace I could get out from. Tony and Bruce turned back to the table between them, checking data I assumed was about me. _Jesus, what did they do to me while I was out to get this much info?_ I saw a row of beakers lined up to my right, and quickly closed my fist around one, hiding it loosely behind my back. The pair spoke quietly, and I caught snippets of their conversation from my position on the other side of the room.

"…her bloods not like anything I've seen…"

"Weirder than yours, huh?"

"…at least mine's partly human…"

I stood listening for a minute, then suddenly bolted over to them, smashing the glass over Tony's head and making him crumple to ground. I leaped over the table to Bruce, his eyes widening at my speed. I tackled him to the floor, punching his head and rolling off his body, bounding for the door. Smacking the button on the side, it slid open with a small _hisss_, and I tumbled out.

Unfortunately, I forgot about the agents, and as I suddenly burst free I got a fist to the face. I growled in frustration, and my arm shot sideways, grabbing one around the neck and tossing him to the floor, and spun into a roundhouse kick, causing the second one to fly back into the wall. Leaping over the crumpled bodies, I raced down a hallway, occasionally throwing out a punch or kick if an agent spotted me. I saw a door, and barrelled through, but froze as I found myself over a large open room, people sitting in rows on computers, with Eye Patch Guy standing in the middle, talking to a young woman with brown hair. His head jerked up to look at me, and I saw shock and anger pass through his eye.

"Aw, damn." I muttered, hearing him cry out some sort of order as I turned and ran back the way I had gone, trying to remember where I had turned and where I had went. I burst through a small group of people, and a few arms shot out to block my path. I jumped into the chest of one in front of me, using him as a springboard to propel myself backwards into two more, taking them down. I tossed out a few quick jabs to my right, knocking out one more agents and took off running again. _How big is this fricking place, I feel like I'm running in _circles. As I ran past doors, I saw one cracked open, and making a split-second decision, I pushed it open, swinging it closed behind me and clicking a lock. Pushing off, I saw I had entered a gym, ringed by a track with various equipment in the centre. Racks of weights lined one wall, ranging from heaviest to lightest, with smaller dumb bells placed neatly in a line in front of them. I heard a noise coming from around a corner close to where I was standing, it sounded like someone punching a punching bag, (Cause what else would you do with one?) and I started in the direction, hoping I could just knock out whoever it was and find the way out of this place. As I walked closer, the noise stopped, and I slowed, muscles tensing. As I neared the corner, a blond man rounded it, a towel around his shoulders and a tight white T-shirt stretched across his wide frame. Acting on instinct, I leaped up and kicked out, catching him by surprise and hearing an _oof_ as his breath left him. Usually if I kick a human, they'll go flying, but this one only stumbled back. _Huh. _

His eyes wide with surprise, he crouched into a defensive position while I flew at him, tackling him to the ground as we proceeded to wrestle, me trying to get a good hit in and him trying to play defensive. I caught a right hook to my face, and I could feel my lip split, the salty taste of blood trickling into my mouth. I rolled off him, kneeling a few feet away. He crouched in a similar position opposite of me, panting and staring. My lip stung from where he had cracked it, and I could see from his stance that I had gotten some good hits on his shoulder and left knee. I prepared to move again, but his hands flew up, fingers spread and palms open.

"Wait! Stop. I don't want to hurt you! What are you doing?"

I snarled at him. "I'm trying to get out of this God forsaken place, idiot. And if you're in my way then I guess I'll just have to move you."

I stayed crouched on the ground as he slowly rose to his feet, hands still spread wide as if he was calming a wild animal. And I guess that's what I looked like, muscles tense, breathing heavily, like a cougar ready to pounce. Not giving it a second thought, I leaped towards him. Simply stepping out to the side, he avoided my attack, but my leg snapped out, catching his knee and making him buckle back to the ground. I spun around, my arms up and ready. He brought himself to his feet, and immediately covered his face with his forearms to block my flurry of attacks. I swung repeatedly, not giving up, and I could tell from his grunts that blocking my hits hurt just as well as if I had been on target. But as I swung for another hit, he grabbed my arms, yanking them down and coving my body with his, pinning me to the ground. I writhed, my arms twisting, trying to get him off.

"Let me go!"

"You'll only attack me again."

Realizing I wasn't actually strong enough to throw him off, I went defensive. Staring up at his face (He was kind of attractive) I let flames lick up my arms. He reared back, one sleeve on fire. Scrambling to my feet, I killed the flames and sent a surge of energy towards him, throwing him back ten feet into the wall. I turned on my heel and bolted back to the door, thinking he had been knocked out. Sadly, I was wrong. As I was running, he caught up to me. I felt him grab the back of my shirt, yanking me to a stop and grabbing me in a hold.

"Stop, please. Calm down, I won't hurt you."

For some reason, his tone of voice made me slow my actions. I grew still in front of him, but his muscles stayed tense around me.

"What are you going to do to me here?"

I sensed surprise flit across his face. "What do you mean? We aren't going to do anything to you here."

"Yeah, right." I whispered.

He released me, and I stood there facing the wall for a few heartbeats until I faced him. "Why did… Fury… bring me here? He's not going to just place me in a cell and put up with me." My muscles were still tense, I had had too many surprise attacks to just trust this guy automatically.

Workout Dude put a hand behind his head. "According to him, he thought you were working with Loki, but I didn't think so. You seemed too.." He broke off, his face flushing red.

I raised an eyebrow. _Should I feel offended with what he was about to say? I'm too what? Young? Weak? Geez. Men._ "One, if you were about to say I'm too weak to be working with Loki I will kick your ass from here to next Wednesday, and two, who is Loki and what is he doing?"

"I should probably let Director Fury explain that, he can choose what to tell you. Don't worry," He added, seeing me press my lips together at the mention of his name, "I won't let him do anything to you. It's obvious you don't know what's going on." I studied his face, every piece of his head, actually. I ran my eyes along his jawline, debating with myself if I should trust him.

Then I looked into his eyes, and I got lost in a flurry of emotions. I felt anger and pain, the echoes of battlegrounds and screams from men all around me, falling to their deaths. I felt a wave of anguish wash over me, such a broken feeling reeling through my body. Then fierce protectiveness, a promise to protect the innocent and the people unable to protect themselves. I tensed as wave after wave of emotions surged off him, shocked at how much this guy had been through.

I blinked out of the haze, to see him looking at me curiously. "F-fine." I sputtered, realizing to him I had just zoned out for a few moments. "I didn't catch your name." I blurted. He glanced at me.

He glanced at me before walking around and cautiously opening the door. "Steve. Yours?"

"Deryn."

He smiled before opening the door fully.

Immediately he was bombarded with agents, some holding guns but some seemed unarmed, (I assumed they were. Rule #1: Don't trust anybody.) Several pushed past, and I heard Steve let out a cry as I was grabbed by many hands, pushed to the floor and guns trained on my back.

"What do you think you're doing? Let her go!"

"Mr. Rogers, are you injured? Did she do anything to you?"

"No, of course not! And she isn't going to, so I'll say it again, let her go."

I peered up at him through my hair, feeling some of the hands on my arms loosen slightly. I didn't trust these people, not one bit, but Steve… I had felt something within him when I connected with him. He meant well, his past had made sure of that. I made a mental note to talk to him again when I could.

Steve stalked back into the room, yanking to guards off me and gently pulling me to my feet.

"Are you alright?" He murmured. I nodded, glaring at the agents who warily watched me, arms tense at their guns.

Steve stared down the agents, his gaze traveling to each one. "I want no one to touch her, is that understood?" They nodded, and Steve led me out of the room, turning down the hallway with me in tow.

I padded quietly behind him, knowing that the agents behind us still had their guns out, and smiled to myself. _Well, at least you made an impression. But so much for escaping, this place is a maze. _

We quickly made it back to the room I had unintentionally burst into before, except this time we were in front of a small table in the back. Fury paced in front of it, hands behind his back. He looked up as we entered.

"so our little delinquent returns. No more waiting, I want to know what you are, and what you plan on trying to do."

I gave him a level stare, my face emotionless. Then I smirked.

"I thought that much was obvious. As for what I am," I extended my arms out to the sides, grinning. "I am not human! Woo, go space! I'm not actually from space, before you ask."

Fury remained silent. My grin faded.

"Wow, tough crowd. Fine, I'll move to question two. For my next trick, I am going to try and convince you to let me go, which is probably going to fail miserably, so I honestly don't know what I'm going to do."

Fury glared at me, but I felt Steve step up closer behind me.

"Sir, if she was working with Loki, we would've known by know. It's not exactly his style, double agents and all that. He's more of a show-off."

"Mr. Rogers, I do not need you to remind me of who I'm working against, I know that well enough." Fury's voice was gruff.

"Sir, I feel like Deryn could help us with Loki, another member is always good use. She's strong, and -"

"And if we let her have our information, all our defence strategies and information we've gathered, and she _is_ working with Loki, then we have just given up our only chance of beating him! No, Captain, I trust her about as much as I would trust a man pointing a gun at my head."

Steve looked at me, concern in his eyes. I shrugged. "What? He's got a point, why should he trust me? I'm an inhuman creature that looks like a weak 18-year-old girl, who has wings and can easily beat someone like you up, no offence. That doesn't really spark love and happiness in people's hearts."

They were silent for a few moments, Steve looking thoughtful and Fury looking, well, expressionless, but I knew there was a lot going on in his head. The silence quickly grew uncomfortable. I leaned on the table, fingers spread.

"Is there, I don't know, _any_ way I walk away from this? Some way I can show you I'm not an entirely bad person?"

Fury looked at me, and I matched his stare. His eye was cold, calculating; mine stubborn, and heated. Finally, he brought his hand up to point a threatening finger at me.

"You will work with Steve and the others when they come in. You do anything to cause me suspicion, I will make you regret it."

He stalked up to the door behind me. As he strode past me, he spoke in a hushed tone.

"For all our sakes, I hope you prove me wrong."


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

(A/N, I changed the order The Avengers come in, so Steve was here to show Deryn around, he didn't come in with Bruce, that scene comes in later. Sorry this chapter is shorter, I'll try to update again soon.)

"Dude what? You were in the ice for _70 years?_" My mouth was open with surprise.

"Well, yeah. I was injected with the Super Soldier Serum, and I assume that's what kept my body circulating, so the ice plus that managed to keep my body surviving until they found me." Steve and I were sitting in the cafeteria, our plates of food perched between us. His was loaded with fruit, veggies, and a sandwich. Mine was, well, lets say a bit more sweet. When we had walked in I beelined for the dessert counter, and grabbed a couple slices of cheesecake, some cookies, and a small container of pudding. As an afterthought I grabbed some actual food, a bowl of fruit and a slice of toast. Steve arched an eyebrow when I met him at the table.

"You have a sweet tooth, I see." He had said. I simply shrugged.

"Back at my house, I didn't really have extra money, so most of it went to actual meal food, the only sweet I ever bought were Pop-Tarts now and then." _Excuses for my craving for sugar. Good job Deryn._

So we spent the next half hour talking, getting to know each other and eating. He told me we were on a ship in the ocean, (That probably explained why I couldn't find many door outside during my attempted escape,) and about where, well, _when_ he was from, and I told him about myself, that I hunted the things that go bump in the night. He didn't really like the thought that all that stuff was real. He commented that there was already enough evil in the world without having to worry about ghosts and demons. I simply shrugged.

So there we were, our plates empty, my taste buds tingling with the aftertaste of the sweet deserts. Steve stood up, his chair scraping backwards.  
>"Well, we might as well see the outside of the ship, Directer Fury said I could show you around a bit."<p>

"He trusts me enough to show me the ship?" I joked as I followed him outside, and I was greeted with a blast of cool air in my face.

I inhaled the sharp, familiar scent, and couldn't help a grin breaking out over my face. I stood there for a moment, just letting the breeze greet my hair, before following Steve to a young red headed woman. She turns away from an official looking guy to greet Steve.

"Captain." She says as we approach. Steve nods curtly.

"Ma'am."

She turns to me, her gaze piercing. I return it.

"Deryn." I offer. _This woman looks like she could snap me in half while wearing high heels and an evening gown._

"Natasha." She turns her attention back to Steve, and they begin to walk.

"It was quite the buzz around here, finding you in the ice." She says, glancing sideways at him. "I thought Coulson was going to swoon. Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trading cards yet?"

"Trading cards?" I asked, looking at Steve.

"They're vintage. He's very proud." Natasha said.

"So you really are a big thing around here, aren't you?" I mumbled. We walked closer to the edge of the ship, and I heard Steve greet someone. I looked up to see Bruce, and my gaze automatically hardened. I had no idea what he had done to me while I was under, and I wasn't ready to trust him just yet. He and Steve shook hands.

"Word is you can find the cube!" Steve commented. Bruce rubbed his hands together, clearly not very comfortable.

"Is that the only word I mean?"

"Only word I care about." Steve said. Bruce turned to me, offering his hand.

"I wanted to apologize for earlier, we didn't really get off to a good start. Could we maybe start over?" His eyes were soft.

I hesitated, then grasped his hand in mine, smirking.

"Hi, I'm Deryn, I'm an 18 year-old winged female who hopes that you won't drug her again for scientific purposes."

He laughed, shaking his head slightly. "Hello Deryn, I'm Doctor Bruce Banner, I have, well, lets say anger issues that I'm working against, and I hope we get to work together." I smiled. _I could get to like this man._

As we broke contact, Natasha stepped between the three of us.

"Gentlemen, miss, you might want to step inside in a minute. It's going to get a little hard to breathe."

Steve and Bruce both look surprised, and I felt it flit across my face, wondering what she meant.

"Is this a submarine?" Steve asked, walking towards the edge. I hear Bruce laugh under his breath.

"Really? They want me in a submerged, pressurized metal container?" I hang back with Natasha, an wonder what _he_ meant. _Wow, I really do have no idea what's going on here, do I?_

The ground suddenly shuddered beneath my feet, and my feet unexpectedly carry me forward to peer over the edge. My eyes widen as I see propellers emerge from the ocean, water cascading down the blades whir to life like a beast waking from slumber, moving slowly and carefully, picking up speed as it comes to it's senses. We start to move, and Bruce shakes his head, smiling slightly.

"Oh no, this is much worse."


	5. Chapter 4

Following Natasha through the halls, the four of us headed back to the main room. There was a lot of energy going on in the room as people ran back and forth, controlling the takeoff. It sounded complicated.

"Prepare for maximum form of takeoff."

"We are clear."

"All engines operating. SHIELD emergency protocol number 193.6 in effect."

I saw Fury standing in the middle of the room, tapping dials on either side of him. Steve wandered deeper into the room, Bruce walking along the edge, leaving me to stand awkwardly in the doorway. Fury walked up to Bruce, and the two of them wandered over to Natasha and a man whose name I had forgotten. _Paul? Peter? I think it started with a 'P'… _He crossed his arms as Bruce turned to him.

"We're sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet. Cell phones, laptops, it it's connected to a satellite, it's eyes and ears for us."

"It's still not going to find them in time." Natasha was crouching beside a computer.

I started playing around with a control panel, not really listening.

Hearing Bruce start talking about spectrometers and gamma rays and algorithms, I tuned out completely. Stuff like that was _not_ my thing, and I would probably blow something up if you let me loose in a lab. (Don't get me wrong, that would be super cool, but I'd be worried about hurting someone.) Pressing random buttons on the panel, I leapt back as it suddenly made a loud, rather obnoxious beep. Several heads turned to me, and I mouthed a _sorry._

Natasha lead Bruce past me, and my gaze followed them as they walked out. I look around the room, trying to memorize the layout, and I briefly try to consider what would happen if I flung myself out the window. I have wings, so I could easily just—

Oh wait.

My wing got sliced up when the helicopter attacked me. _Deryn can't fly no more. Damn._ Sighing, I turn to see where Bruce and Natasha went, but stopped as Fury called me back.

"Deryn, I need to talk to you." _Uh oh. Now what, does he want to accuse me of stealing the Mona Lisa?_

"Yeeeesssssss?" I danced my way back to him, grinning stupidly.

"I need to know what you are capable of doing. All your abilities, any sort of talent that may be used for us or against us." My arms dropped to my side. _Oh. That's lame._

_"_Sure. Who am I performing for?" I stroke a pose. "Please. No photography people. The beauty of this specimen must remain undamaged from flashes." I heard someone snort behind me, one of the agents. I turned to see Agent 'P.'

"So are you the one assessing me? I'm sorry if I damage you, hopefully you have a fire distinguisher handy."

"Follow me please." I caught his name tag as he turned to lead me out of the room. _Agent Phil Coulson. Ah, so that's it. Got it._

Leading me to a room, (People seemed to be leading me to a lot of places lately,) he motioned for me to go into a small, square metal room with a mirror on one wall. I assumed it was one-way glass, so I made a face towards it, sticking out my tongue.

"Very funny. I'll be taking notes and videoing your abilities, so please wait in between each demonstration to make sure I have time to write everything down. Any questions?" His voice echoed a little over the intercom, and I raised my hand.

"Yes?" He asked.

"This sucks."

"Got it. You can start."

I scowled at my reflection, then turned around and spread out my wings. I flapped slightly, then turned to study my damaged wing in the mirror. _Damn that…. actually doesn't look as bad as I thought. _My left wing had a scratch running along the middle top, veering down halfway in the centre. It had already healed slightly, so I guessed it'd be fully better in a day or two. Folding my wings, I crossed my arms and waited for Phil to say when.

"Go ahead."

Throwing my hand out, a small flame ignited in my palm, and I flung it down around my feet. Waving my fingers, it encircled me, and I made the flames dance, first growing bigger, then smaller, then dying down. Displaying my hand out to my side, I conjured a flower, each petal a tongue of flame. Small sparks floated off it, and spun downward in swirling patterns. Disintegrating the flower, I explained it to the mirror.

"Fire is my element, and as you can see_,_ I can create small objects with it, like the flower. Before you ask, _no,_ I cannot do things like guns, knives, and all that crap you'll probably want." I turned around, searching the bare room. "Uh, I might need some sort of object for this one. A table, or something."

He was silent for so long I thought he had left me here, when the door opened and someone lugged a heavy-looking table inside. Pushing it against the wall, they immediately left, and I was left to contemplate the box of wood that was the table in front of me.

_Oh well._ I pushed my hand out, and the table screeched across the room, shattering against the far wall. I winced as a few slivers of wood rebounded back. _Oops. _That was a bit hard.

Grinning, I stared into the mirror, striking a _ta-dahhhh_ pose.

"That's all folks! Thanks for coming to the show, I'll be here all week!" I exclaimed. _There is no way I'm letting them know about the rest. A girl needs some secrets, right?_

He opened the door after a couple minutes of silence, and I stalked out, nodding at him. Hey, I could be halfway decent, and he didn't seem that bad._ Unlike Fury. That dude's way too uptight._ I stood in the walkway pondering what to do for a minute. Deciding to look for Bruce, I chose a hall at random and started walking.

Fifteen minutes later, I was about ready to punch something.

"Can someone please tell me where the hell I am!" I demanded, staring at an unfamiliar room for what felt like the 100th time. Sighing, I turned around started back the way I had come.

After walking for a couple minutes, I found the cafeteria. _Okay, so if I go left here then…. _I walked past a window and I caught a flash of red in the corner of my eye. Smirking, I walked into the room, silently cheering. _Yessss, finally. Thank you, Natasha's hair. _My ears picked up on Natasha pointing out random machines, and Bruce adding in a comment here and there.

"Carbon field generator is over there, here's the scanner."

"Do you have any electromagnetic radiators? They'll be useful if and when we get the cube."  
>"Yeah, they're in another part of the ship, I'll have them delivered to you."<br>(A/N I have no idea what scientific stuff to put in here, sorry and just bear with me whenever I have to put stuff in.)

I perched myself on the edge of a table, being careful not to bump anything, and listened to them talk to each other. _You need to figure out how to get out of here, even if it's just for a little while. Reagan and the other's will be getting worried. _

_Chill, inner me. This place seems cool, and it's not like it's the first time I'll have disappeared. _

_Yeah, but you always leave some sort of sign telling them you weren't dead._

Yeah, Inner Me was right, I did do that, didn't I? I threw water balloons at James everyday for a week that one time I just wanted to be alone, with notes inside telling him _Ha Ha Ha sucker, look who's all wet!_

What was I going to do, I didn't know how to fly a plane, I just assumed I would carry myself. I guess now it would be useful to know how to fly a plane in times like this. Maybe I could talk Steve into helping me? No, he seems to focused on being here working on this Loki business. No go. I sighed.

_I'll figure something out._

I saw Natasha put a finger to her ear, (some sort of earpiece? I dunno.) and listened to something for a second before stalking towards the door.

"Fury says they got an 80% hit on Loki. He wants us to go check it out."  
>My eyebrows shot up. <em>Wow, talk about good timing, maybe I can hitch a ride and ditch them if it's close to New York.<em> I quickly scampered after the two of them, my eyes bright with excitement.

Back in the Many Peoples Room, as I had dubbed it, Fury gave orders to us.

"Natasha, you'll be flying Captain Rogers to Loki. Captain, I want you to take Loki down and bring him here. We can get the information out of him better and safer if he is in our hands, so don't try anything stupid when you're with him." Steve tilted his head. "No promises." Fury turned to me.

"Deryn." I raised an eyebrow, looking at him with a slight grin on my face. "You are to stay on the plane _at all times._You are not to interfere with anything, only to observe."  
>"Sir-" Steve started to argue, but Fury held up a hand, silencing him.<p>

"No Captain, I don't trust her enough to have her that close to Loki. Natasha, you will keep an eye on her." With that, he stalked out of the room.

"Soooooo, does that mean that if you guys are dying a slow, painful, horrible death, I should sit back with tea and a good book and watch you guys?" I asked. I heard Natasha laugh slightly, Steve allowing a smile onto his face. I clapped, rubbing my hands together.

"So, whataya say we go kick some alien ass?"

* * *

><p>I sat in the back of the QuinJet, my muscles tense. I <em>hated<em> being in planes, and with my wing mangled, I realized that I couldn't just fly out if something were to happen. Yes, I know they had parachutes, but I didn't trust them. What if they got tangled when they were opening? What if there was a hole in the parachute? _What if what if what if…._

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I didn't want to start thinking like that, thinking like that lead to bad decisions. Steve seemed to notice my discomfort, and came to sit beside me.

"I take it you don't fly very often? You seem tense." He joked. I pressed my lips together, hands clasped between my legs. "You know, I would think that someone with wings would be used to flying, or are you just claustrophobic?"

I shook my head. "I'm not claustrophobic, but I hate planes. They're like metal traps of _death_, just waiting for you to enter then before they crash you to the ground. It doesn't help that one of my wings is hurt, so I wont be able to fly if this things nosedives."

Steve opened his mouth to answer, his eyes bright, but my head cracked with a blast of burning cold ice, my mind dissolving in an agony of fire.


	6. Authors Note

Hey guys, first of all I'm sorry for what I'm about to say. I know I've literally _just_ started this tory, but I've had writers block and one of my friends needs my help right now dealing with depression, so I probably won't be updating soon. Please don't unfollow (The few of you who actually have) I will try to get writing soon, but i just wanted you to know that I might not be active

Sorry again guys, but these things come first.

~Deryn


	7. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

My mind felt like it was burning with ice-cold flames. My hands flew to my head, a low groan coming from my throat. Sliding off my seat, I found myself curled into the floor, my skull feeling like it was being compressed. Dimly, I heard my name being called, echoing and sounding far away. _Make it stop make it stop make it stop please dear god my head is burning._

Tears sprang into my eyes, slipping through the curtain of blackness I was looking at. Suddenly, everything blurred into pastel colours, figures and shapes emerging from the fog.

_A crowd of people milled around a large room, marble columns ringing the outer edge. Soft violin music echoed through the walls, and women draped in fancy dresses and men in pressed suits murmured to one another. _

_Soft hues of green and gold faded in from the edges, and I heard screaming, people running through the doors, the pounding of feet matching the pounding of my head, and I wanted to scream at them to just stop, stop pounding my mind into dust to be blown away in the wind, I wasn't that weak. A man stalked through the crowd, seemingly calm admits the smiled, raising his arms, and-_

I jolted back into my mind, gasping. Steve was crouching beside me, his face etched in worry. Natasha was glancing back, looking wary and cautious.

"Deryn, what happened?" Steve's voice was low, and his hand reached for my shoulder.

I closed my eyes again, curling into myself.

_What the hell is happening? This happened before, what's going on?_

My head still pounded, but it didn't feel like my brain was going to explode anymore. Slowly, I pushed myself into a sitting position, Steve's hand steadying me. Leaning back against the wall of the aircraft, I pushed out a heavy breath. Steve's eyes were glinting with confusion, he probably had no idea what just happened. Not that I could answer him, I had about as much information as he did.

"I'm sorry." I whispered. "I don't know what happened, I just-"

"No, don't apologize. You were in pain, but that's all I know. Can you tell me what happened?"

I pressed my lips together, not answering his question. How was I supposed to answer, that my mind was collapsing in on itself, bringing me excruciating pain? That would only make it worse, and it certainly wouldn't get more trust from Fury and the others. I took a deep breath, running my hand through my hair.

"I… I saw something. A room filled with people, a party. But there was this gold glow everywhere, and a man standing over everyone. Black hair, and a narrow face."

Steve's eyes hardened. "It may have been Loki, apparently he's at a spot that sounds like the one you described. We should be there soon, so you can tell us if that's what you saw." He paused, then added in an afterthought, "Does this happen often? The…visions?"

I shook my head. "No, I've never had that ability. This is only the second time it's happened, the first was right before Fury found me, I saw Loki escape from the bunker he was in." _At least my headache's going away. _

"Are you somehow connected to Loki, in some way?" Steve asked.

"No, I've never even heard of him. I thought he wasn't real."

Natasha's voice cut through out conversation. "I don't mean to interrupt, but we're arriving over the building. Cap, you might want to get out now, look's like Loki's starting something."

Steve nodded, then turned back to me, his face grinning slightly. "Have fun watching me kick Loki's butt."

I groaned. _Right, I have to stay on the plane. Geez, I could totally use Loki as a punching bag right now._

My hair suddenly flew back as the back of the QuinJet opened, and Steve leaped out. I glanced back at Natasha, and locked eyes with her. She shrugged.

"You know," She said, "By the time I get up to you, you could be out the plane. And the door _is _still open…."

Smirking, I saluted her. Turning to slide out the back, I plummeted down, opening my wings slightly to slow my fall.

I landed a little ways behind Loki, crouching as my legs absorbed the impact. Steve was bent in front of an old man, surrounded by a sea of terrified people. His shield smoked slightly as he straightened up.

"You know, last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing over everybody else, we ended up disagreeing."

"The soldier," Loki spat, "a man out of time."

Steve smirked. "Oh, I'm not the one whose out of time."

Just then, Natasha veered the QuinJet over the crowd, the guns trained on Loki. Her voice rang out over the loud speaker. "Loki, drop the weapon and stand down."

I saw Loki tense, and dove at him just as he shot a beam towards the jet. I collided with his lean body, causing his shot to jerk off track, and crumble a building instead. We hit the ground with a thud, and I rolled off him, kneeling a ways away. His cold eyes rose up to mine and I glared at him, silently daring him to make a move. His arm twitched, and a blue beam streaked towards me. Conjuring a wall of fire, it surrounded me, causing the bolt to ricochet off. Steve ran up and yanked him to his feet, cloth bunched in his fist. Swinging punches, Cap deflected attacks and rained his own down on Loki's body. Suddenly, Loki swung his sceptre, knocking Steve back and twisting around so he was standing over him with his sceptre forcing Steve down.

"Kneel." He hissed, his gaze murderous.

"Not today." Steve grunted, jumping up and throwing Loki back.

I ran over to the quarrelling men, and sending energy over, I hurled Loki down into the stone steps, hearing his breath leave him. I stalked over to his body, stopping a few feet away and raised my arms, silently daring him to attack.

Just then, Shoot to Thrill rang into the air, and I froze. Loki took this to his advantage, and leaped up towards me. His sceptre swung through the air, colliding it with my body. I winced, but my reflexes kicked in and my hands shot out to wrap around the handle, yanking it forward. It slipped from his hands and he growled at me, stepping forward.

Suddenly a streak of red shot past me and collided with Loki's body, flying him back into his past position on the stairs. Tony stood in front of me in the Iron Man suit, arms up and weapons ready.

"Make a move, Reindeer Games." He dared, his voice slightly muffled and distorted by the mask. Loki hesitated, the his body glowed gold, shimmering around his frame like Christmas lights through a lens, his hands raising into the air. Tony let his arms fall.

"Good move."

Steve staggered up to us, shield hung on his arm.

"Stark."

"Captain."

Tony turned to me. "Deryn. You know, we need to get you a better name. Deryn's too simple. A superhero name. Superhero names are cool. Fireball?" he offered.

I glared at him. "Deryn's fine thank you. I don't plan on staying long enough to actually need a 'better name.'" _I need to try for Reagan. It's far, but maybe I can get a message through. I'm not good at far telepathy, but maybe…._

As Natasha landed the QuinJet behind us, I crept a little ways away, eyeing up Loki as I did. When Steve and Tony grabbed him, I closed my eyes.

_Reagan? Can you hear me? _I heard my message fad out into the back of my mind as it left. Telepathy has always been an odd feeling, it's not natural to be in someone else's mind. They're the only thing that's completely private.

_Deryn?_ Reagans' voice shimmered into view, sounding like she was at the far end of a tunnel.

Relief flooded over me. _Thank God, you're here. Listen, I'm with some sort of group, they call themselves SHIELD. They wont let me leave and my wing's busted so I can't get away._

_You're fade—ut. I can't he— you. You found a shield?_

I groaned, smacking my head in frustration. Stupid weak telepathy. Great for side conversations, bad for long calls.

_Reagan. Listen to me. I can't get back to you, find everything you can about SHIELD and hack their information systems._

_Hack shield? I don't unders—_ Her voice faded back out, leaving my head. It's always unnerving, ending a mind conversation with someone. It's like a space in your head that's suddenly gone, a black silence that you can't muffle. I shook my head, hoping she could figure it out.

"Yo flames! We need to go!" Stark's shout bombarded my ears, and I opened my eyes to see him waving at me from the back of the plane. Scowling at him, I trotted over.

_This should be interesting._

_A/N_ Sorry for the wait guys, I've been busy with Christmas stuff and school and soccer and just ugh... Hopefully I'l get chapter six done this weekend since I don't have school tomorrow, I'll try to write the majority of it then. Thanks to the people reading my little book, and criticism and comments are appreciated! Peace out guys!


	8. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

I swayed back and forth slightly as the jet soared through the air, Loki sitting across from me, slightly down further to my right. He was staring at me, his eyes gleaming in the fading light and I scowled back at him. Steve and Tony were standing to my left, quietly murmuring to each other.

"I don't like it." I heard Steve say.

"What, Rock of Ages giving up so easily?"

"I don't remember it being that easy. This guy packs a wallop."

"Well, you are still pretty spry, for an older fellow."

"Tony." I warned. He ignored me.  
>"What's your thing, Pilates?" He asked.<p>

"What?" Steve said.

"It's like calisthenics. You may have missed a few things, y'know, when you were doing time as a capsicle."

"Tony, give it a rest." I called over to them, not breaking eye contact with Loki.

The two men glared at each other, shrugging off my comment. Thunder and lightning crashed outside, streaking through the sky in a burst of white light. Natasha glanced up.

"Where's all this coming from?" She murmured.

I saw Loki glancing around, worry etched in his face.

"Scared of lighting, Loki?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.

"I'm not overly fond of what follows." Was all he offered._ What's that supposed to mean?_

A thud suddenly rang through the metal container, and my eyes widened.

I turned to Tony to ask if he knew what happened, but he stalked past me, his suit closing in around him. The jet opened the hatch at the back, rain and lighting dancing through the air as the clouds closed in around us. A figured dropped from the top of the ship, what looked like a hammer in one hand and armour draped across his body. Tony stepped towards him, but the guy slammed a fist him across the face, sending Tony reeling back towards Steve and I. He yanked Loki to his feet, sending us one last glare then diving out the QuinJet, getting swallowed up in the storm clouds. I had leapt to my feet, standing beside Steve as fury raged across Tony's face.

"And now there's that guy." I heard him mumble to himself. Stalking towards the front of the plane, his face mask slid down with a clang. I called him back.

"Tony, wait! You can't just go throw yourself into that, you don't know what's going to happen!"

"This is how I always roll, sweetheart. Don't get your panties in a knot."

I scowled at his retreating head.

"Stark! We need a plan of attack!" Steve's voice had gotten an aura of command around it.

"I have a plan." Tony snapped. "Attack." He jumped out the back, and I stood for a moment before grabbing two parachutes. Natasha glanced back as me and Steve suited up.

"I'd sit this one out guys, these guys come from legend, they're practically Gods."

"I'm not missing any action."

"There's only one God, ma'am. And I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that."

Me and Steve spoke at the same time, talking over each other and I glanced side ways at him before heading for the back.

_Time for some real action._

I dropped quickly beside Steve, waiting long after he had opened his chute to open mine. We hung suspended in the air for a few long heartbeats, when a soft wind blew up, pushing me away. My eyes widened at the sudden change of plans, and I pulled at the strings, loosening them.

"What are you doing?" Steve called over to me as I slowly drifted away.

"I may have to drop, I don't want to end up too far. Make sure Tony and Thunder Dude don't kill each other!" I replied. He nodded. I found myself drifting past a large stone ledge, and perched carefully on it's end like a bird of prey was Loki.

_Aw, hell no._

I yanked on the strings, growling as they tangled up into a knot, and pushed my hand carefully through them. Igniting a small flame, I quickly burned them away, falling to the ground in an ungraceful heap. I heard a small breath of laughter, and glanced up to see Loki standing at the edge, eyes fixed on the commotion raging below. I held my breath, not daring to move, but when he didn't turn around I quickly slipped behind a boulder, concealing myself in the shadows. Peering around the jagged side of the rock, I watched him. _How did he not notice me coming down? This is the second time, what is he, blind? _My eyes narrowed at his head, and I pulled back as he took a few steps back. He gave an almost childlike giggle, _do guys giggle? They chuckle, I guess, _and I pressed myself into the cold rock, barely breathing. I could faintly hear fighting going on down in the forest, and I winced as I heard what sounded like a tree collapsing over. I peered around the stone again, but was only met with a sky full of stars and an empty stone ledge. _What the hell? Where did he go? _My gaze racked the surrounding forest, and I stood up. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled, and a cool voice suddenly blew over me.

"It's rude not to say hello."

I leaped back. Well, forward I guess, spinning around to face the tall man. His hair was slicked back and he grinned. Reacting by habit my hands brought themselves to my upper body, forming a defence pose.

"Whatever you're thinking of doing, I'd highly advise against it. The only place you're going is to SHIELD base." I sneered. He let out a husky laugh.

"Oh, I have no doubt of it. You're gathering a… team, of sorts, are you not?"

My brow furrowed. "How do you know about that?"

He only grinned at me. I heard a roar come from the clearing, and an explosion burst through the air, wave after wave slamming into the two of us and throwing me back.

_And back and back and back…_

_A/N _Hey guys, this chapter is short, I know, I'm sorry. I had a crap load of homework over the weekend, and tests to study for and just ugh stuff. I will try to update before Christmas, but then again it is December and it's the most stressful time of the year. If I don't update before then I give you all permission to trash this story because the author doesn't update enough. :P Don't worry, I'm making chapter 7 much longer to make up for the lack of plot and updates.


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